Vocational Services
How does a client get referred to the IPS team?
Do some clients prefer to meet with you at the office?
We are a community based service. We meet with all clients in the community, at their homes, in coffee shops, cafe's, bookstores...
How many people are on your caseload?
Have you ever helped a client report their earnings? Tell me about this process.
Yes! Clients may have to report their earnings to numerous agencies for benefits reasons including SSA and DHHS. We can help clients use the online portals to input their information, or help clients physically bring in their paystubs.
What jobs do you recommend for people who have not worked in many years... or have criminal records...or who are actively using substances or may have not worked in many years?
We work with each client and their individual needs and wants for a job and help them find a job based on that. If a client has a dream job we will help them break down that job into smaller more accomplishable steps.
Who on this team is the Job Development Specialist?
No one! Everyone on the IPS team is an IPS generalist! We all know it all!
Are you responsible for any other duties at the agency outside of employment and education and how often are you performing these duties?
I am not responsible for any other duties in the agency.
Are there some people on your caseload who are inactive, if so how do you define inactive and are they included on your total case number.
Clients who are inactive are defined as clients who may be hospitalized, on an inpatient stay, or otherwise not currently engaging in IPS services.. they are counted on our total case number... we collaborate with their case manager consistently to understand what the next steps are with these clients.
How do you build relationships with employers?
Job developments. We completed 6 of these each week to meet with employers in our community who may be a good match for our clients. We also go back to these employers multiple times and discuss what IPS can do, how their company works and more.
What is the career profile and can you walk me through the process of completing it?
The career profile is the assessment tool we use to learn clients individual goals, strengths, weaknesses, their dream job and a lot more so we can better help them get a job. The career profile is completed within the first 30 days of receiving a referral.
Do you do discuss employment rates on IPS? What is your current employment rate?
We discuss employment rates in team meetings and in individual supervision. I can do the math for my employment rate right now (# of clients with jobs / total # of clients)
I collaborate with the treatment team, the IPS team, my supervisor and the client themselves. There is no time limit to IPS so we focus on accomplishing the goals that each individual client sets.
What types of benefits counseling is available for your clients and who provides this?
First, we have Sam and Robin, our CWIC benefits counselors. Then we have our general benefits team in the agency that clients can go to for assistance.
What are the exclusions for a referral to IPS?
There are none. We serve any and all clients.
Do you work with the vocational rehabilitation program? Can you tell me about that?
We work collaboratively with the Manchester VR program. We meet monthly with the supervisor of that agency to discuss problem cases, resources or anything else that may come up. We refer clients regularly based on each clients needs.
IPS team meetings occur weekly, we conduct strengths assessments, discuss challenges, interview, got jobs/lost jobs, job developments... I attend ______ team meeting _____ times per week. In that meeting I discuss my clients needs with their case manager and their treatment team so we may better collaborate.
Can you tell me about job developments? How often are you doing them... how are they documented... are they over the phone or in person?
I complete 6 job developments per week face to face. I document them in our job development log to include the manager I spoke with, where the company is located, any information I gathered and what my next steps are. Phone/online job developments do not count towards my weekly goal of 6.
What do you do if someone does not attend a benefits appointment.
Walk me through the process after you get a referral... when do you meet with the client, what happens when you do... when does the job search begin....
We meet with our clients as soon as possible, during the first few sessions we will complete the career profile/vocational assessment where we can learn what the clients goals are, from there we begin the job search with job developments and applications, additionally we will help a client build their resume, collect references and anything else they may need.
If someone leaves a job without notice, what do you do?
Meet with the client as soon as possible and review the reasons why they may have left, provide education on how the client may have quit in a better way, discussed what the client would like to do next, complete a pros and cons matric... etc.
What does the executive team think of the IPS team and what gives you that impression?
The executive team thinks that IPS is a critical component of services here at MHCGM. They will send us job listings they see in the community, send us shout outs in company wide emails, we are frequently mentioned in our company wide flyer and much more.
Disclosure is informing someone of their mental health diagnosis and that they work with an IPS specialist. Clients can disclose as much or as little as they feel comfortable with. A tool we use to help with this are the pros and cons matrix. We discussed disclosure with clients during the career profile, when conducting job search activities and at any chance we can.
What does your benefits specialist provide for your clients?
Our CWIC's help clients collect all of their benefit information from the state (housing assistance, SNAP, SSDI, trial work months etc.), then they meet with the client to gather information and identify client goals, they compile all of the information for a clients benefit plan and present it to the client and assist the client in achieving their benefits goals.
How do you build relationships with temp agencies... with volunteer agencies... and how do these relationships benefit your clients?
We don't... temp agencies and volunteer work are not in the IPS model and therefor we do not work with them.